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Agent 4: I don't think Victor will show up in the Splatoon 3 fic, but he will show up again in this one. Anyways, Leo is 7, Charlie is 9, and Maddie is 11. A little fun fact: since Splatoon 3 starts in 2022, and it is currently 2019 in "The Rainbow Squids." Which means Maddie will be 14 by the time of Splatoon 3. Make of that what you will.
So, after a long delay, let's go back to the story!
Octavia's PoV
At last, the day was here. After many days of practice, their efforts could finally pay off at the Ika Tournament.
Compared to the Deca Tournament, the Ika Tournament was less well-known, primarily because Off the Hook never said anything about it. However, a tournament was a tournament, and everyone was itching to participate in another one. Especially Geneva—she hadn't been around when the Deca Tournament happened, and now was her chance.
It was also held in an entirely different location—at a plaza near Urchin Underpass. Like at the Deca Tournament, it was outdoors, though there were much less seats. A small stage had been set up, jellyfish running around as they prepared for the tournament's special guest. Everyone eagerly awaited to see who it could be, though Octavia wasn't expecting much. Smaller tournaments did tend to have lackluster guests anyways. Too often did they have a businessman come in and encourage people to work for their company—that wasn't fresh at all!
Eventually, a woman's voice began to speak over the intercom. "Welcome, everyone, to the thirteenth annual Ika Tournament! I'm your host, Coral Spyne, and today I'd like to get right to introducing our special guest—a designer from Toni Kensa!"
Gasps rippled throughout the stands, and Octavia nearly fell out of her seat. A designer from Toni Kensa?! In the flesh?! They tended to be out of the public eye, so to have one appear today...how much money did the organizers shell out?
"Settle down, settle down," Coral Spyne said. "Unfortunately, we were not able to get Toni Kensa himself to join us today, so we went with the next best alternative. This designer has worked closely with Toni Kensa in the past and helped develop some of the most popular gear in Inkopolis today. So, please welcome...Tacey Phos!"
The audience clapped as a dark-skinned inkling with white hair tied into a double bun walked onto the stage, donning the signature colors of the Toni Kensa brand. Though not as widely known as Toni Kensa and some other fashion designers, Octavia had heard of Tacey Phos before. She hopped between brands often, though she had been working with Toni Kensa for the past few years. If they won the tournament, then perhaps she could get a chance to talk to her? Now they have to win!
Tacey Phos adjusted her tie and began to speak. "Greetings. As you all know, I am Tacey Phos, a fashion designer currently under the employment of Toni Kensa. It is an honor to be invited today, and it pleases me to see so many people wearing our fashion. I hope that Toni Kensa will be able to inspire future generations to create their own unique brands and carve their way into becoming the freshest of them all." She paused, and the audience started to murmur. Clearing her throat, she hushed the crowd and continued. "I wish you all good luck on this tournament. I'll be eagerly awaiting the results."
"With that, the tournament can now begin!" Coral exclaimed. "Here's who everyone's up against in the first round."
On the screen behind Tacey Phos, a graphic displaying the tournament bracket appeared, and Octavia immediately scanned the bracket, searching for her team. Soon enough, she found the Warm Rainbow Squids on one side of the bracket, facing off against a team called "Sea Avengers." On the other side of the bracket, she found the Cool Rainbow Squids matched against the Splatteruplets. She recalled battling them in a Splatfest long ago, but further details failed to come to her.
"Did you get everything?" Coral continued. "Now, go on! The sooner we start the tournament, the better!"
Groups of inklings began to filter out of the stands, making their way towards a collection of launchpads. The Rainbow Squids gave their best wishes to each other before splitting off. This tournament only had a bracket of sixteen—it wasn't nearly as long as the Deca Tournament. And the smaller the bracket, the higher chance of winning they all had.
With how much they practiced, Octavia was confident they wouldn't have much trouble at all getting to the finals.
After a long hour of battling, Octavia was exhausted. The Sea Avengers weren't tough at all—their attacks weren't particularly coordinated—but the other teams they had to face? Via didn't expect them to be that strong! Their last match in particular went into overtime for over a minute, but somehow, the Warm Rainbow Squids managed to pull off a comeback. If it wasn't for the breaks in between each match, she was sure she would've collapsed in the middle of a battle.
Unfortunately, this break was now over. Via ate the last of her protein bar as they returned to the stands, awaiting the results. A few minutes later, the giant screen sitting above the stage flashed the logo of the Ika Tournament, and at last, the final match had been revealed.
The Warm Rainbow Squids versus the Cool Rainbow Squids.
"Seriously?!" someone in the audience yelled. "They're basically the same team!"
"They should be banned!" another person agreed.
"Settle down," Tacey Phos scolded, tapping on the microphone. Once the discordant ringing subsided, she continued, "Both the Warm Rainbow Squids and the Cool Rainbow Squids have displayed immense skill over the course of the tournament. If we were to ban every large friend group that makes their way through these tournaments, then no inkling would have fun at all. It is rare we get an opportunity like this, and instead of shunning it, we should relish it."
"You took the words out of my mouth," Coral remarked. "Go on, Rainbow Squids! Please step on the launchpad and fly off to your next destination."
Octavia stood up from her seat and took a deep breath. So, it came to this. If she wanted to win, she had to defeat her friends in this tournament. But either way, it was the perfect end, even if the majority seemed to think otherwise. Besides, maybe she could claim the win that was robbed from them during the Deca Tournament at last.
As they headed towards the launchpad, Via and Bonnie exchanged glances. No words had to be said to understand the meaning: good luck. Huddling onto the launchpad, they all transformed into squids and launched into air, soaring towards their next destination—Piranha Pit.
The mode for the finals was Splat Zones, and while it may seem like the simplest of them all, it could also be the deadliest. The Warm Rainbow Squids had a disadvantage here—their only ranged weapon was Yuri's Heavy Splatling Deco. But what they lacked in range, they made up for it in power. As long as she could keep Bonnie distracted...she had full confidence that they could win this. Provided that Roy didn't lose his cool, of course.
Not long after they arrived, the match started, and Octavia was already rushing to the center of the map. Upon reaching the closer zone, she swung her Octobrush Nouveau as fast as she could, flinging ink everywhere. The zone flashed yellow, and she switched her focus to inking the surrounding area. Roy climbed up the conveyor belt nearby and started firing his Luna Blaster down at the zone below. She wasn't sure how effective it was, but at the very least, he hadn't splatted yet.
Via had just returned from placing a squid beakon when she heard Roy cry out in pain. He had stumbled off the conveyor belt, and now Perry stood in his place, swinging his Sloshing Machine. Via rushed in and ran up to him, striking him with her brush and knocking him off of the conveyor belt. While he was vulnerable, Roy recovered and splatted Perry. They then tried inking the second zone, but Inigo suddenly hopped out of his hiding place and splatted Roy, forcing Octavia to flee. She scrambled to her squid beakon and activated Tenta Missiles, yellow missiles soaring into the sky and crashing down on the other side of the stage. Somehow, they painted the second zone, setting off the timer.
The Cool Rainbow Squids quickly took it back, though. They had only managed to get a few points off when Via spotted Geneva inking the zone back up, turning it sky blue. Alexis then sped by, tossing a burst bomb at Geneva and firing her Hero Dualies at her. While she managed to avoid the worst of the bomb, she couldn't dodge the rest of the fire, and it wasn't long before she splatted. Via ran over to join her sister, only to witness her getting splatted the moment she arrived. Her head snapped over to the source of the shot, and she spotted Bonnie hiding behind a wall, charging up her next shot. The moment she stepped out into the open, Via started running, allowing her to dodge the shot with grace.
Instead of firing another shot, Bonnie tossed a point sensor at her, marking her with a black, squid-shaped arrow. Octavia cursed under her breath and super-jumped to the beakon before she could be splatted. She replaced it and started charging back towards the splat zones, keeping her eyes peeled for anyone that may try to sneak up on her. In an instant, she heard someone emerge beside her and swung her Octobrush Nouveau in that direction. Indigo eyes flashed with surprise as her attacker stumbled back, struggling to keep his roller up. Via tried striking him again, but Inigo quickly recovered and swung the Carbon Roller down on her, splatting her.
Thankfully, the other team hadn't managed to take the zone closer to her team's base by the time she respawned. However, as she swam over there, they did seem close. She emerged from the yellow ink and, running as fast as she could, swooped in to splat Geneva. Once she was gone, Roy charged ahead with the Baller, stopping once he reached the other zone. Octavia transformed into a squid and followed the trail he created, but as he was detonating it, she spotted Bonnie step out from behind a wall, a light shining brightly on her Classic Squiffer. She jumped in front of Roy and took the hit for him, enabling him to move in and splat Bonnie. With that, the Warm Rainbow Squids had managed to claim both splat zones again.
They still had it by the time Octavia respawned, filling her with hope that they could win the match. Oh, but what would they do with the prize money? Maybe she could treat everyone to a fancy restaurant. Perry could already do that, but it would mean much more coming from her. But it would be split between them, so theoretically, any of the Warm Rainbow Squids could do that. Perhaps if she and Alexis combined their amounts, they could go to the fanciest restaurant in Inkopolis. She had the suspicion that Alexis had a different plan, though.
She placed a squid beakon behind one of the conveyor belts and moved onwards to the second zone. Tenta Missiles soared through the air, crashing down on the surrounding area and forcing Bonnie to flee out into the open. She was mowed down by the fire of Yuri's splatling, and looking towards the source, Via spotted his hair glowing. He didn't activate his special weapon immediately, however, instead continuing to narrow his focus towards the enemy base. Octavia noticed some ripples approaching him, and she started to run towards them, hoping to catch his attacker off-guard and splat them before they could do anything. Unfortunately, this attacker was none other than Geneva. She must've noticed her approaching, as she popped out of the ink and fired at her and Yuri both.
Even worse was that Geneva had destroyed Octavia's squid beakon as well. The Cool Rainbow Squids now had the advantage as Via charged back to the center of the stage, and it wasn't long until they claimed both splat zones. She started to hope Roy or Alexis would swoop in and reclaim one of the zones, but nothing happened. Wherever they were, it didn't matter. She would just have to take them herself.
Instead of charging in immediately, she hid in the ink, waiting for an opening. Yuri managed to finally activate Bubble Blower, and once they floated down to the first zone, he charged up his splatling and popped them, covering the zone with a massive explosion of yellow ink. Though the Cool Rainbow Squids were no longer gaining points, they were determined to reclaim the zone. With this opportunity, Via swam over there, anticipating the enemy's arrival. She had to defend the zone, no matter what!
Perry was the first to come, throwing down an auto bomb that soon started to waddle over to Octavia. Before it could explode, she finally emerged from the ink and charged towards him, swinging her brush. He lobbed some blue ink at her, splattering onto her face and blinding her momentarily. Yet, somehow, she still managed to splat Perry, hearing him cry in pain as his gear dropped to the ground. She wiped the ink out of her eyes and dove back into her own ink to recover from her injuries. However, Inigo soon took Perry's place, and she was forced to flee, backing up near the edge of the stage as he chased her. She started swinging her brush again in an attempt to deflect the waves of ink rushing towards her, but the moment one hit her head, it was over.
Upon respawning, she charged towards the zone closest to her team's base again, but a sudden shout from Roy directed her attention towards him. She clenched her Octobrush Nouveau tighter, heart pounding in her chest. What was he doing?
Roy waved his hands around, walking past Via and towards the splat zone. "Hey! Over here!"
Alexis dodge-rolled out from behind a conveyor belt, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
Geneva stepped up to the zone and exchanged glances with her before shrugging. "I don't know."
"It could be a trap," Inigo warned, joining Geneva.
"Either way, we can't pause the match." She readied her Hero Shot, holding it out in front of her. "Let's go!"
They inked the splat zone, quickly turning it blue, before turning their attention to Roy. Octavia was about to intervene when he pointed his Luna Blaster at them and fired at point-blank range. Geneva and Inigo splatted at the same time, throwing yellow ink up into the air as they exploded. The closer zone turned the Warm Rainbow Squids' ink color, and Roy activated the Baller once again, running towards the farther zone. Alexis fired some Tenta Missiles, and together with the explosion of Baller, they reclaimed both splat zones at last. As long as they could keep up the momentum...then they could win!
She glanced over at the perch Yuri stood at, who gave her a thumbs-up. With his affirmation, she swam over to the farther splat zone, monitoring the area for anyone from the other team. Her eyes then drifted up to the grated bridge attached to a nearby wall. Bonnie stood on top of it, her gaze razor-sharp as she scanned the area below. She fired her Classic Squiffer and splatted Roy before she activated Ink Armor. A blue mist began to surround her, and a few seconds later, hardened ink formed on her body. Her eyes shined brilliantly as she turned towards the zone, tossing out a point sensor. Octavia tried to get away before it could land, but the cloud of black arrows marked her. From the other team's spawn point came Geneva, rushing towards the splat zone.
Regardless of whether she fought or fled, she'll probably splat either way. So, might as well go out with a bang. She emerged from the yellow ink and charged towards Geneva, brush in hand. One swing broke her Ink Armor, and they continued to trade blows, stinging ink sticking onto their clothes. But Octavia's agility was no match for Geneva's power, and soon enough, the wavy-haired girl splatted.
But she wasn't able to take the zone for the Cool Rainbow Squids. Before the zone could flash blue, the match ended, and the Warm Rainbow Squids had won by one point.
Octavia respawned, breathing heavily as she lifted her head up towards the score counter. Had it already been five minutes? They flew by fast! And it was so close, too...
Yuri leaped into the air, pumping a fist. "Booyah!"
Via smiled. "Booyah!" she cheered back. Another chorus of booyahs followed, and she ran down the conveyor belt, to the center of the map, where she met up with the rest of the Rainbow Squids.
Perry dipped his hat. "Well, we lost. GG."
"That was tough," Bonnie remarked. "My hands were shaking so badly."
"Really?" Octavia's eyes widened. Even on her bad days, Bon-Bon was one of the best Squiffer users she knew. "Your aim didn't seem off."
"Yes!" she insisted. "You all were so fast; it was nothing like our practice sessions. I can still feel my heart pounding!"
"Well, those were just practice sessions," Yuri commented, leaning against his Heavy Splatling Deco. "This one was the real deal!"
A chime rang throughout the clearing, and Inigo lifted his chin. "We should get back."
"Yeah, don't want to keep everyone waiting," Geneva agreed.
"And we'll be waiting for the awards ceremony," Alexis added. "I wonder what the trophies will look like."
"It is called the 'Ika Tournament,'" Bonnie mused. "Maybe it'll look like a squid?"
"Yeah, probably," Octavia agreed. "It isn't too long until we find out."
"Well, enough chatting," Roy butted in. "Let's get going."
"Right, right!"
Everyone turned into squids and super-jumped out of Piranha Pit, flying back towards the plaza they arrived from. They were met with ambivalence as they landed onto the stage, skidding across the wooden surface for a few feet before coming to a stop—thank cod they didn't hit anything. Octavia gave a bow before Alexis grabbed her hand and tugged her off the stage, back to the stands. Once they sat down, it wasn't long before Tacey Phos walked back out on stage, followed by Coral's booming voice.
"Now, please welcome the winners of the Ika Tournament...the Warm Rainbow Squids!"
Roy, Octavia, Yuri, and Alexis stood up from where they were sitting and made their way to the stage while the audience clapped. When they stepped onto the stage, Octavia turned around to face the crowd, a smile on her face. She searched for her friends and waved at them before a few jellyfish entered the stage, each holding trophies depicting a squid.
Tacey Phos gestured to the jellyfish. "Please, accept your awards."
The group took the trophies and turned to face the fashion designer. "Thank you very much!" Via exclaimed. Looking down into the trophy, she spotted loads of cash, and a huge smile touched her lips. She couldn't count right now, but it had to be a lot.
"Don't thank me, thank the organizers of this tournament," she remarked. "I'm only the special guest."
"It's no problem!" Coral exclaimed, her voice ringing through the plaza. "Now, if one of you would like to say a few words, go right ahead!"
"I'll do it," Alexis muttered to the group. She stepped up to the microphone, lowering it to her height and doing a few tests before beginning her speech. "Ahem. I know that this was an undesirable outcome for a lot of you, but if you ask me, I had a lot of fun fighting the other half of the Rainbow Squids. Ms. Spyne and Tacey Phos are right—it doesn't matter who's in the finals. The most important part is to have fun, and we all did!" She looked towards where the Cool Rainbow Squids were sitting. "I couldn't have asked for a better end to this tournament."
Waves of murmurs swept over the audience. Had she managed to convince them?
Coral's chuckling brought Via out of her thoughts. "Well said. Now, may I welcome the Cool Rainbow Squids onto the stage?"
The applause for the Cool Rainbow Squids as they entered the stage was louder than the one given for the Warm Rainbow Squids. Nonetheless, it wasn't long before Tacey Phos settled everyone down, and a few more jellyfish emerged from behind the curtains, holding silver trophies. After Tacey prompted them to grab their trophies, she invited one of them to speak for the team. They settled on Inigo, and he soon took to the microphone.
"Thank you," he started. "Alexis has already said the important parts. I just want to reiterate what she said—it was fun fighting against all my friends, even though we lost. We'll gladly take second place."
Inigo stepped away from the microphone, prompting Coral to speak again. "Well, that's it! Participants may collect their awards backstage. Thank you all for another successful year! You are dismissed."
That included Tacey Phos. Once the speaker grew still, she put her hands behind her back and started walking towards the curtains, about to disappear behind the stage. Octavia's eyes widened—she couldn't let this chance get away from her! Despite the calls of the Rainbow Squids, she ran after her, waving a hand around in the air.
"Ms. Phos!" At the sound of Octavia's voice, she stopped in her tracks and turned around, raising an eyebrow. "May I talk to you?"
"And you are...?"
"Octavia." She clasped her hands together, pleading. "I'm a big fan of your work, and I want to be a fashion designer like you someday, too. So, could you give me any tips?"
"Tips?" She crossed her arms. "I'd need to see your portfolio for that."
Via blinked, dumbfounded. "Portfolio?"
She adjusted her scarf and continued. "A collection of your work. Do you not have one?"
"Uh, no."
"Do you have anything to show me? Even a picture would work."
"...No. I-"
"Then I can't help you," Tacey Phos interrupted. "Without anything to show for it, then it's only a dream. There are several other designers you could contact; I am not one of them." She studied Octavia for a few seconds more, and then she asked, "Say, how old are you?"
Octavia's smile turned into a frown, her voice growing quieter by the second. "E-Eighteen. I'm in high school."
"Don't cry. You're in senior year, correct?" Via nodded. "You must have applied to some colleges by now. I suggest Inkblot Art Academy, if you haven't already applied."
"That's where I'm going," she declared. "Me and my best friend. We're going together."
"Perfect. Inkblot Art Academy offers various internships to various designers. I'm not included in that list, but I graduated from there many years ago. I'm sure you can find someone there. Just remember that the world of fashion can be cruel. Many designers ultimately end up unsuccessful because they don't put the work into it. Please keep that in mind."
Octavia opened her mouth to say something else, but words failed her. Instead, she nodded. "OK. Thank you."
"You're welcome." A small smile touched Tacey Phos's lips. "Now, I must be going. It was nice to meet you." She held out her hand, expectant.
Octavia took it, her smile returning. "You too!"
They let go after a few moments, and Tacey disappeared behind the curtains. Via felt something in her hand, and she lifted it to find a business card inside. Orange eyes widened with surprise. Perhaps she was willing to help after all!
"Via!" Alexis called, snapping her attention to the Rainbow Squids. "You coming?"
"Yeah!" She pocketed the card and skipped over to her friends, where they left the venue together.
A/N: So...this was delayed quite a bit. But it's here now! I'll try my best to stay on time, but it's a little tough writing Splatoon 2 battles now that Splatoon 3 is out. Anyways, I hope you all like this, have fun with the Splatfest this weekend, and Branchwing, out!